St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-04-29
PARIS THE MAGNIFICENT.

Nearly Three Thousand Represeu-
talive Citizens of st. FauI Enter.
tanned by Prof. Ragan's illustrated
Lecture.
The seating capacity OF the Exposition
rink was taxed last evening at the first OF
H. II. Ragan's illustrated lecture on
Paris the Magnificent" The crowd be-
gan early to pour into the building. and at
Sis hardly seat was left in the building,
and still there was steady stream OF peo-
ME at the door, When the doors were
finally closed, there were nearly three thou-
sand people in the building. The audience
was one of the most intelligent ever brought
together in ST. Paul, being composed OF
prominent business men and their families.
The only thing to mar the pleasure OF the
evenings entertainment was the limited
number of uShers. The lecturer is pleas
ant looking man of perhaps 40 years of age,
with dark hair ana imperial. His voice
and manner of delivery are pleasing. and
the sightseeing tours through which he
takes his audience make the evenings en-
tertainment highly enjoyable. The speaker
as an Introductory, said:
It is difficult to conceive of two cities within
q DAVIS ride of each other that are more I'M
like than London and Paris. One may eat
breakfast in London and late dinner i'll
Paris, provided he has been able to withstand
the hardshipS of channel passage. The
buildings of London look smoky and dingy,
while those of Paris are constructed OF mar
bile and look bright and beautiful. London
impresses YOU with an idea that it's buildings
are solid While the buildings of Paris are
solid, stiH theEeify is more than beautiful. it
is magnificent
Paris is city of the present. 1t retains
but few of its relics of antiquity. Everything
speaks for the living present. Paris has
turned more political somersaults than any
city on earth. One can have nothing but adj
mration for people who have manufac-
tured so much history in so short time.
The first thing that a person will no.
tice when he steps into the streets or Paris is
that French is spoken here" and one will
find himself stopping to listen to the smooth,
flowing adjectives and phrases
The speaker then continued his lecture
with the aid of the views, showing the
massive buildings and toerwS. all of which
tell the tale of the fearful guillotine OF the
reign of terror, and occasionally transport
ing his audience from the scenes Of the
bloody past to the present, by such pictures
as interior views of the new opera house,
which cost S2,O00.000 for the site, S10,-
900. 900 for the building and $40. 600, 900
for tile approaches. The magnificent salon
and Stair-cases are shown in such manner
that it is difficult for Mr.. Ragan's
hearers to believe that they are looking
alta mere stereOpticon picture. His COM
parison of the well-regulated omnibus
system of Paris and the street car system
eff this country was something that all ST.
Paul people who patronRe the street cars
could appreciate. The various scenes. the
famous louvre, with its square miles of art
the representations of the various parks,
and the scenes about Versailles were
highly enjoyable, and as fitting close
Bart hobbs statue of liberty was shown.